Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Bloemfontein

For one person, living is cheaper in Bloemfontein: $1,061 a month against $1,278 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Bloemfontein
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Bloemfontein Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bloemfontein

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Bloemfontein

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pretoria and in Bloemfontein actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Pretoria vs $1,061 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Pretoria $1,278
Bloemfontein $1,061

A couple spends around $1,980 per month in Pretoria vs $1,674 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Pretoria $1,980
Bloemfontein $1,674

A family of three spends $2,683 per month in Pretoria vs $2,287 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Pretoria $2,683
Bloemfontein $2,287

Pretoria costs about 21% more than Bloemfontein, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Bloemfontein are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 5% lower, Bloemfontein 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.90 R 148

$11.84 R 197

-24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.92 R 613

$41.31 R 686

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 R 87.9

$7.00 R 116

-24.29%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R 38.06

$2.07 R 34.41

10.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.62

$1.44 R 23.92

-26.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.21

$1.07 R 17.84

-19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 R 38.83

$2.58 R 42.79

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 R 56.8

$2.76 R 45.82

23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.83

$1.03 R 17.08

9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 R 18.90

$1.07 R 17.69

6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.40

$2.12 R 35.22

-13.68%

Eggs

$2.41 R 40.09

$2.17 R 35.97

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 R 140

$7.67 R 127

10.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 83.1

$4.83 R 80.2

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 R 123

$7.60 R 126

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.77

$1.88 R 31.24

-4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.93

$1.56 R 25.87

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.53

$1.74 R 28.89

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.25

$1.57 R 25.99

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.90

$1.57 R 26.03

-31.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.61

$1.85 R 30.70

-36.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R 19.56

$1.09 R 18.10

8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R 21.35

$0.96 R 15.96

34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 54.3

$2.54 R 42.24

28.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 R 85.9

$4.71 R 78.2

9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 25.77

$1.81 R 29.99

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 31.20

$1.36 R 22.54

38.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 R 76.2

$0.91 R 15.13

404.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 R 3,011

$75.5 R 1,254

140.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.17

$1.11 R 18.38

-72.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 13.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 R 245

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.40

$1.46 R 24.19

4.79%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.7K R 593.3K

$36.3K R 602.9K

-1.59%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.1K R 582.9K

$29.4K R 488.4K

19.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$150 R 2,489

$76.6 R 1,272

95.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.66 R 609

$33.40 R 555

9.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 R 610

$32.15 R 534

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.99 R 531

$31.41 R 522

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.29 R 171

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$4.93 R 81.8

43.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$261 R 4,333

$192 R 3,194

35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R 248.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R 873

$59.0 R 980

-10.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 R 542

$42.91 R 713

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 R 1,529

$134 R 2,233

-31.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 R 1,379

$111 R 1,839

-25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 R 7,481

$319 R 5,304

41.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 R 5,862

$285 R 4,728

23.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 R 17.0K

$515 R 8,549

98.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 12.1K

$537 R 8,914

35.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 R 14.5K

$477 R 7,924

83.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 R 10.8K

$622 R 10.3K

4.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 R 23.2K

$1,325 R 22.0K

5.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.13

-6.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pretoria: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$353 27.6%

Bloemfontein

$285 26.8% 19.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$223 17.5%

Bloemfontein

$142 13.4% 36.3% $81

Getting Around

Pretoria

$204 16%

Bloemfontein

$80 * 7.6% 60.7% $124

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$194 15.2%

Bloemfontein

$187 17.6% 3.6% $6.9

Eating Out

Pretoria

$141 11%

Bloemfontein

$169 15.9% 20% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$117 9.2%

Bloemfontein

$156 14.7% 33.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.6%

Bloemfontein

$41 3.9% 10.6% $4.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Pretoria versus $319 in Bloemfontein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Pretoria versus $41 in Bloemfontein. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Pretoria vs $187 in Bloemfontein – so Bloemfontein wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Bloemfontein

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

370,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Pretoria Bloemfontein 420 km

From you

Pretoria
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pretoria vs Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 21% more than Bloemfontein, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Pretoria and $1,591 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $319 there versus $451 in Pretoria.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Pretoria, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Pretoria and $41 in Bloemfontein. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Pretoria and $1,061 in Bloemfontein. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.